


What do we say to Death?

by National_Nobody



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Best Friends, Birdflash - Freeform, Bottom Dick Grayson, Boys In Love, Canon Temporary Character Death, Dick Grayson-centric, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Not Season/Series 03 Compliant, Open Relationships, Panic Attacks, Platonic Traught, Recovery, Slow Updates, Spitfire - Freeform, Team as Family, Top Wally West, Wally West is Alive, background bluepulse, hint of snaibsel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-06-26 01:39:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19757959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/National_Nobody/pseuds/National_Nobody
Summary: Not today.Dick misses his best friend so much that he can't move forward. Artemis tries so hard to move on that she's not sure she still recognizes herself. Both of their failures to cope get interrupted by some seemingly impossible hope.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The amount of Wally Fix-its I started but never posted in the time between S2 ending and S3 starting is obscene. I just miss my boy, okay?
> 
> I feel confident that S3 will give him back to us, but JUST IN CASE (and because the season has given me so many Wally-related feels already) I felt like cleaning this up, finishing it, and throwing it out into the world. Hope you enjoy!

Dick had always been a thrill-seeker with spontaneity in his blood. He supposed it helped with the whole ‘very few things will ever stay constant in my life’ thing. Not that, if he was honest, he really minded. Stability wasn’t a thing he knew how to handle. Moving forward meant not lingering on past regrets.

Something he had a solid handful of by now.

Like anyone, though, there were _some_ things he liked to cling onto. Alfred’s gingersnaps after a brutal day. Barbara’s Look after a particularly bad one liner. Bruce’s steady voice appearing _precisely_ when Dick was sure things were about to go belly up.

Wally. Just, generally.

In the last year, he’d been lacking in all of those departments. By choice, granted, except for the last one. Everyone tip-toeing around him _because_ of that last one, had him crawling out of his skin. Regardless, it wasn’t particularly surprising that he’d been having a rough time of it lately as a result.

Still, he hadn’t thought finally admitting it to Barbara would make her feel the need to _tie him upside down to a gargoyle._

“Fine, I’ll bite,” he said dryly. “What exactly are you hoping to accomplish with this?”

Barbara leaned her elbow on one knee, peering down at him from above—well, _below_ from his current perspective.

“Mostly? I needed an excuse to laugh today,” she said smugly down at him. “ _But_ , while you’re hanging out with nothing better to do,” she cleared her throat. “Repeat after me. I, Richard Grayson,” she waited, motioning with her hand.

He stared flatly at her, feeling the blood beginning to rush to his head.

She didn’t budge, raising an eyebrow expectantly. He sighed.

“I, Richard Grayson,” he humored her.

“Will from this day on,” she continued.

“Will from this day on,” he repeated dutifully.

“Get my head out of my ass—” 

“Oh, come on—”

“—and stop isolating myself for no good reason—”

“Barbara—”

“—or else submit to unending torment from the entire Team, led by the _best_ hero I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing—”

“ _Babs—_ ”

“Exactly,” she smirked. He sighed again.

“You couldn’t have just taken your worry out on me by hacking my comms back on? Or bugging my place? Or any of the other things you can basically do in your sleep?”

“Who says I didn’t?” she asked. Dick rolled his eyes.

“Fine, yeah, what you said. I’ll even swing by the Batcave as early as tomorrow night. Happy?”

“As soon as I actually _see_ you show up? Yes. Yes, I will be,” she hauled him up, cutting him free and cupping his chin.

“You’re lucky that Kaldur held me back for this long, honestly. This solo act of yours is over, boy wonder. We’ve got work to do. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he relented affectionately.


	2. Chapter 2

Going back to the cave for the first time after Jason’s holographic memorial was officially installed had been _hard_. Going back to face Kaldur after Tula had sacrificed herself on-mission had been, arguably, harder. Neither, however, compared to going back to the Watchtower just after Wally had died. It was…

A lot.

So it surprised him how okay he felt, just over a year later, Zeta-ing back up there at Barbara’s behest.

Much like going back to the Batcave after some time away, everything at the Watchtower seemed simultaneously exactly the same and completely unfamiliar.

He leaned against the doorway to the main room, arms crossed over his chest as he took in the hustle and bustle. Kaldur was deep in conversation with Captain Atom. A handful of other leaguers seemed to be comparing notes. Most of the team appeared to be deployed but a few remained, chatting amiably. Sitting on counters.

It was the atmosphere. That’s what was weird. These weren’t the screens people laughed around or rooms people _lounged_ in. Well, not while he was around to see it, just day to day like this.

Top secret meetings, senior cases, Big Deals. That was the Watchtower. The office to the Cave’s home. It had never felt like _his._ _Theirs_. But...there they all were, lying on the floor and sitting on the backs of couches like it was normal. Clearly, the Team had made these new digs their own just fine while he’d been away.

“Well there’s a lurker I haven’t seen in a while,” A rich, teasing voice approached him. He turned his head. Zatanna smiled. “Good to see you, boy wonder.”

Dick smiled back. “You too, Zee. Heard you had your hands full last week.”

“Yeah, turns out crashing a super evil-sorcerer party is less fun than it sounds,” she said, crossing her arms with a sigh. “So, am I going to have to use my mojo to make you stick around, or are you coming back of your own free will?”

“I can think of worse things than being magically attached to your hip,” he smirked. She shot him a look. “Relax, Batgirl’s already got the blackmail covered. I believe her exact words were ‘unending torment’ If I didn’t show,” he said. “Figured I should take her word for it.”

“You bet your perfect ass you should. I’d be right behind her,” she poked him in the chest. “You can’t hide from us forever, fearless leader,” she said more gently, a spark of mischief in her eyes. “Especially if what I’ve heard is true about you taking a day job, _Officer_ Grayson. _That_ is something I’ve _got_ to see.”

Dick laughed. “So far, it’s the dullest part of the day more often than not,” he said. “I’m too new to be getting in on much action. But, it’s a nice change of pace,” he shrugged. “Keeps me out of trouble.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” she smiled. “But, I’m glad you’re doing something productive with your time,” she said carefully. “You had us worried for a while there, Dick.”

He met her gaze, glad to see there was no pity there. “I’m okay, Zee. Promise.”

“I know,” she squeezed his arm. “But if you ever do need to talk? You know where to find me.”

“You got it,” he covered her hand with his, squeezing back.

He approached Kal silently, standing to one side of him but tapping the opposite shoulder. Kal jumped, looking the wrong way first, then turned with an impatient, exasperated look that immediately morphed into pleasant surprise as he realized who he was looking at.

“Forgive me, my friend, I did not know you were coming,” Kal smiled warmly, facing him. “I assumed you were Batgirl.”

“We do have the same penchant for pushing your buttons,” Dick grinned.

“Yes, well, thankfully, I draw from an unending well of patience,” Kal said wryly, clasping Dick’s upper arm. “In any case, this is fortunate timing on your part. We have much to discuss,” he added, ushering him toward a private meeting room.

Dick’s brow furrowed as he sat on the edge of the meeting table.

“Interesting. Why do I feel like I’m about to find out the real reason Barbara hunted me down to chat yesterday?” Dick asked evenly. Kal raised an eyebrow.

“Ah. Well, I believe the phrase she would use is ‘two birds, one stone,’” he sighed. “I did not ask her to fetch you, but I suppose she has always been far more...proactive than I am. And she certainly _has_ been concerned about you for some time. I have tried to restrain her—”

“From pestering me earlier. Yeah, she mentioned that,” Dick crossed his arms again. “What’s going on, Kal?”

Kal sat beside him, eyes downcast as he composed himself. Dick tensed, something freezing inside him. He knew that posture.

“I do not want to get your hopes up, my friend,” Kal said gently, meeting Dick’s gaze. “Before I begin, please understand that the possibility is...small.”

“Possibility of what, Kal?” Dick asked.

Kaldur reached around for a tablet, bringing up some relevant files and then handing it to him. “Delta squad compiled this last week,” Kal said slowly. “Kid Flash has good reason to believe that this data suggests the existence of what he calls ‘the speed force.’”

Dick glanced over the data, ignoring the twinge in his chest. “Sounds very Star Wars,” he said mildly.

Hearing Bart referred to by his new—well, not so new anymore, he supposed—moniker was still odd, though thankfully less painful than it used to be. At the very least, he was glad Kal hadn’t tried to avoid it for his benefit.

“Man, this is _weird_ ,” Dick said curiously. “This speed force, is it an energy source? Because it almost looks like a _place_.”

“It is both, as far as we can gather,” Kaldur frowned. “By Bart’s explanation, it seems to act as a plane of existence that transcends both time and space. More than that, however, Bart believes it is the _sole_ source of his and Flash’s speed.”

“You mean, rather than some sort of metagene?” Dick asked.

“It is possible a metagene is required in order for a potential speedster to successfully tap into the speed force, but we simply don’t have enough information to arrive at any conclusive answers,” Kal explained.

“What’s this here?” Dick pointed to a list of locations. Kaldur hesitated.

“If Bart’s assumptions prove true,” Kaldur said carefully, “It is possible, under the right circumstances, for a speedster to actually _enter_ the speed force. And, by extension, become trapped there.” Kal looked meaningfully at him. Dick’s heart skipped, already beginning to put two and two together. “We think these locations are all where someone was attempting to get _out_.”

The gears in Dick’s brain whirred out of control and he had to remind himself to breathe.

He swallowed, a strange mix of hurt and hope bubbling in his chest.

_Oh my god._

“What kind of circumstances?” Dick asked, voice nearly cracking. Kaldur hesitated, massaging the tattoo on his wrist. A nervous habit.

“Most likely?” Kal said soberly, “Running at an _incredibly_ high speed.”

Oh. 

Dick cleared his throat. “Incredibly, meaning...?”

“Scarcely imaginable,” Kal said quietly, meeting his eyes. “Even by the Flash’s standards.”

The bubble of hope burst, stinging so hard Dick nearly reached to massage his chest.

He exhaled slowly through his nose, lowering the tablet to his lap and clutching hard to the edge of the table to keep himself steady through the disappointment.

So much for not getting his hopes up.

“Kal,” Dick said tightly. “If _Barry_ has never heard of this—has never been fast enough to see _or_ get stuck in this thing…” he trailed off, swallowing hard. “How could you expect Wally to?”

To his credit, Kal didn’t flinch.

“As I said, the possibility is small,” Kaldur answered, placing a hand on his shoulder, “but not inconceivable. In Bart’s time, it was at one point possible—”

“—For Wally to go way faster than me _or_ Gramps,” Bart chimed in, shooting out of wherever he’d been hiding, arms crossed and expression stubborn as he skidded to a halt in front of them.

They both jumped a little. Kal sighed with a disapproving look, seemingly opening his mouth to reprimand him for spying.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, you wanted to ‘talk to Nightwing privately,’” Bart said with raised air quotes, tapping his foot. “But dude, I’ve been sitting on this for over a week and you’re taking for-ev-er, so can we skip to the part where we find and extract Wally or what?”

Dick placed the tablet down onto the table beside him, studying Bart’s impatient face.

Dick would give anything in world to get Wally back. _Anything_. The pain of him being gone often still hit him as raw and fresh as the day he disappeared.

But.

“The fact remains that _our_ Wally was never able to go that fast,” Dick said neutrally.

“But—” Bart protested.

“Look,” Dick sighed, standing and placing a hand on Bart’s shoulder. “Bart, it was largely thanks to you that we _have_ a future at all. But you need to understand the ramifications of our actions last year. The path of all of our futures changed _irreversibly_ when we stopped the Reach invasion,” Dick explained, gentle but firm. “Anything that _your_ future Wally was capable of? He would have needed time and circumstance to unlock it. The Wally of our time…” Dick’s chest squeezed painfully again, the back of his throat burning. He cleared it. “He didn’t get that chance, Bart. I’m sorry.”

Bart stared up at him, dumbfounded, a look of utter betrayal pooling into his green eyes that were so like Wally’s and yet so _not_.

“So you’re not going to help me,” Bart said hollowly.

“I think the speed force is definitely worth looking into, especially if there is someone, friend _or_ foe, trapped inside,” Dick reassured. “I’d be more than happy to help you gather more data. But Kaldur’s right. It’s too soon and too unlikely to get our hopes up about it being Wally.”

“This isn’t just some gut feeling!” Bart shook him off, furious. “I’ve _seen_ this signature before. Have Miss Martian bring up my memories for all I care. They’re eidetic, it’ll be an easy comparison. It’ll be an exact match!” he shouted. “Wally’s trapped in there. I _know_ it’s him. I thought _you_ of all people would be jumping at this chance.” 

“Bart—”

“You know what? Forget it,” Bart said flatly. “Believe me or don’t. Either way, I’m getting him out.”

“Enough,” Dick snapped, regripping his arm before he dashed off. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe not. Either way, this is no excuse to get careless. If it’s an enemy speedster in there, you could get yourself killed. We _need_ more intel. Until then, _don’t_ engage.”

“You left, _fearless leader_ ,” Bart said coldly, ripping out of Dick’s grasp. “You don’t get to tell me what to do anymore.”

With a flutter of wind he was gone. Dick stared at the empty space left behind, Bart’s comment smarting in his chest.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kaldur stood, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I will make him see reason,” Kal reassured. Dick snorted humorlessly.

“Yeah,” he said resignedly. “Good luck with that.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey, Nightwing? Can we talk?”

Dick looked up from his case file.

“What’s on your mind, Blue?” he asked, anticipating the answer. Jaime shifted uncomfortably.

“It’s about what you and KF talked about a few days ago,” he said, as Dick had guessed. “I know you and Aqualad are just trying to be smart about this speed force stuff and I get it. I don’t want Bart ending up with some crazy problem that he can’t get away from either.”

“But?” Dick prompted.

“But I checked with scarab, too, ese,” Jaime said softly, sitting down in the seat across from him. “Just like you, I didn’t want Bart or anyone else getting their hopes up for something impossible. Which is why...after he and I narrowed down the locations where it looked like the speed force prisoner was trying to escape, I went to investigate all the sites by myself,” Jaime looked down guiltily. “I, uh, haven’t told him yet.”

Dick tensed, hope flickering stubbornly at the possibility of new info.

Logically, it was practically impossible for this anomaly to be Wally. Dick _knew_ that. But had that stopped him from spending nearly every waking moment obsessing over the possibility? No. No it had not.

“Probably for the best,” Dick said evenly. “What did you find?” 

“Not much,” Jaime admitted. “But every time I reached one of the coordinates, scarab picked up this, uh,” he gestured helplessly. “I’m not sure how to explain it. A trace? An imprint? _Something_ , anyway, that related back to the Reach.”

Dick leaned forward, resting his knuckles against his chin contemplatively. “The MFD’s energy that Wally was exposed to when he disappeared _was_ of Reach origin,” Dick mused. “Was there a pattern to the locations? I didn’t think the coordinates lined up with the MFD placements, but it’s not like I was looking for that.”

“No, you’re right, I checked. The MFD spots and these coordinates don’t match. But I do think there’s a pattern,” Jaime said, gesturing with nervous excitement as he pulled something up on the screen in the middle of the room.

“Look, there was an active League or Team member near each of these locations every time a speed force escape attempt was happening. In two of those cases, it was only Flash in the vicinity. In one, it was Bart _and_ Flash, and the escape attempt seemed to occur for longer. It wasn’t _only_ speedsters though. One was Miss Martian and Superboy, and another one was Aqualad. Honestly, I’m not _entirely_ sure about these three but—”

“Me,” Dick said, surprised. He stood, pointing to a set of coordinates. “That one. It was me. And those other two could easily have been Tigress, if my intel is correct.”

“Surely there’s gotta be something to this then, right?” Jaime asked earnestly. “It’s too big a coincidence.”

Dick stared fixedly at the holographic map, feeling lightheaded. Could it really be possible?

“Nightwing?” Jaime prodded hesitantly.

“Good work, Blue, thank you,” Dick said absently. “I’ll have Aqualad look at this as well. You’ve given us a lot to think about.”

The look of relief on Jaime’s face was palpable.

“Uh, but, Jaime?” Dick added, snapping out of it. “Until we have a legitimate plan of action, I need KF to stay out of this. Or at the very least, to make sure he doesn’t do something…rash.”

Jaime snorted and he suddenly looked about as tired as Dick had felt after Bart had stormed out on him the other day. “Yeah. Easier said than done, jefe,” Jaime said blandly, leaning back against the wall. Dick’s lips quirked, gaze softening.

“Agreed. In fact, I’d say it’s a task best left to the experts,” Dick said with a pointed look. Jaime’s eyes widened a fraction, stiffening like a deer in the headlights. Dick pursed his lips, holding back his laugh.

“I. Um. Right,” Jaime said sheepishly, getting ahold of himself. “I’ll do my best.”

Dick smiled. “That’s all I ever ask for.”


	4. Chapter 4

There were far more team members scattered around the Watchtower that afternoon, the main hall filled with chatter and bursts of laughter.

Kaldur, as usual, was standing in the center, pouring over some monitors with Batgirl. He waved Dick over.

“Ready?” Dick asked. Kal ran a hand over the back of his head.

“Nearly. We were merely running logistics—”

“It’s alright, Kal, I’ve got this covered,” Barbara said. She put a hand on Dick’s arm, uncertainty clear in the tilt of her brows. “Keep me in the loop, okay?”

“Will do,” Dick promised.

Kaldur walked with him off to the side of the room, then turned toward the window where a handful of the Team were chatting.

“Kid Flash, a word please,” Kaldur called.

Bart exchanged a quick look with Jaime before walking at a normal pace to stand in front of them. He didn’t spare a glance toward Dick.

“Whatcha need, boss?”

Kaldur met Dick’s gaze. Dick nodded.

“Nightwing and I have given further consideration to your report,” Kaldur began, “and have decided to bring Flash into the fold as soon as he returns from overseeing the crisis relief and rescue efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake near Relasia.”

Bart’s shoulders went slack. “Wait, so we’re doing this?” he asked quickly, full of hope. “When? Where—”

“Let me be clear,” Kaldur said firmly, “I still feel as though we are largely working on conjecture and hopeful assumption. However, with the new information Blue Beetle has brought to the table, there appears to be a real, tangible chance that your theory will prove true. A chance we cannot in good conscience let slip through our grasp.”

Bart broke out into a huge grin.

“That being said,” Dick added. “I’m going to ask you one more time, Bart. Just how confident are you—”

“It’s him,” Bart said excitedly, no longer ignoring him. “I’m sure of it.” Dick sighed.

“Let me rephrase that. Are you confident enough to tell Tigress?” Dick asked quietly. Bart’s smiled slipped slightly.

They both knew. There was risk of failure, and then there was risk of heartbreak. Each and every time they brought someone else on board, they had to decide. Was it worth it?

There was barely a pause, more contemplative than hesitant, then Bart nodded seriously.

“I’ll go right now, if you need me to,” he answered assuredly. Dick breathed a shade easier.

“Not necessary,” Dick said. “But, glad to hear it.” He motioned to a set of coordinates.

“The good news is that the intervals of time between speed force escape attempts have been fairly consistent. The bad news is we have no good way of predicting _where_ ,” Dick explained. “Considering the length of an escape attempt increased when there were multiple League or Team members present, particularly you and Barry, it seems our best shot is to simply gather a group of Wally’s close friends and family in an open space around the time when we’d expect an attempt and hope for the best.”

“O-kay. Not the most exact plan, but, sounds crash,” Bart shrugged. “Kind of an unprecedented thing after all, so trial and error is basically all we’ve got going for us. Where and when are you thinking?”

“We believe Flash may be the best person to decide that,” Kal said. “As far as _who_ will go,” he glanced at Dick.

“I’ll tell her,” Dick said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since a number of these chapters are shorter i'll probably continue to post them in small batches as they get done. Hope you enjoyed these first 4!


	5. Chapter 5

“Are you sure this is going to work?” Artemis whispered tightly, arms wrapped like iron around herself as they stood out in the open, watching the skies, for the second hour straight.

“No,” Dick said, glancing back and forth between the readings on his holodeck and the clouds moving in. “But looks like we’ll be getting some sort of answer soon, one way or the other.”

Bart was tapping his foot impatiently, whirling away in intervals to do a basic sweep around the radius they’d projected. Barry did the same, monitoring the rest of the predicted range of possibility.

Dick’s stomach felt like lead.

He did his best to quiet the voice in his head that kept whispering that this was crazy. It never ceased to amaze him that he was even able to _have_ that thought after all the years he’d been living this life. He also, less forcefully, shoved down the hope that kept rising in his chest.

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive the potential crushing disappointment otherwise.

Jaime gasped, suddenly. Dick’s head snapped to him.

“Over there,” Jaime pointed, speaking quickly. “Scarab says something’s starting to register on his scanner!”

“Hold position,” Dick said. “Flash, KF—” They appeared before he could finish calling them back. Dick swallowed, looking to Barry. “Do you see anything?” he asked tightly.

Barry squinted. “I see _something_ , all right,” he frowned. “Nightwing, this is looking like an opportunity to get fried by lightning more than anything else.”

“Gramps, that’s not natural lightning,” Bart said, excited. “We can’t ditch now, this could be it!”

Artemis and Barry exchanged a nervous look. Dick glanced grimly back at Kaldur, sure the worry was making its way onto his face. Kaldur put a hand on Dick’s shoulder reassuringly, ever the calming, unshakable presence. Dick suddenly very much wished that M’gann was there as well instead of off world, missing the comfort of the ‘originals’ all being linked up privately during stressful moments like this. He also would have much preferred being able to rely on Conner’s eyes.

This is what he’d meant from day one when he and Wally first fought about Wally and Artemis choosing to walk away from it all. Not having his core team always made him feel like he was missing a limb and it was fucking _frustrating_.

Another, bigger bolt of light forked across the sky, the accompanying _boom_ rattling Dick’s teeth.

Artemis grabbed his hand, her body strung so visibly taught he feared she’d snap. He squeezed her hand back twice, anchoring her to him and focused on the warmth of Kaldur’s palm, still on his shoulder.

“Keep your eyes open,” he murmured.

The wind whipped around them, the storm escalating, and then…three things happened, all at once, very fast.

A bizarre, ghostly, incomplete thing came rocketing toward them, as if manifesting directly from a bolt of lightning that struck hard at the ground, leaving flames in its wake. Bart and Barry took off, running dead ahead toward it, the red and yellow light of their speed trails burning into the back of Dicks eyelids as the dark clouds roiled above them. Then, the three figures collided, the force of it echoing across the field with a resounding _crack_.

As soon as Dick and the other’s brains finally caught up with their eyes and the actions of their speedster companions, Dick’s entire world narrowed as his breath caught in his chest.

The figure before them had the glowing outline of a man, but a body that was only half filled in, the details scattered among the gaps of nothingness like a long forgotten puzzle. A fragmented image pulled straight from the deepest desires of Dick's heart, that further tightened Artemis’ grip on his numbing fingers in the split second that they both saw it.

A shock of red hair, a yellow burst on his chest, and bright, jewel green eyes.

Dick just barely registered Jaime’s panicked shouting as a stifled cry fell from Bart’s lips, Bart struggling to hold one of those glowing arms in place. The blinding energy spread, lighting up both Bart’s and Barry’s bodies as Barry held onto the opposite bicep, his arms shaking with exertion and teeth grit as though in pain. Yellow appeared beneath Bart’s and Barry’s grip as if their hold alone conjured another piece of Wally back into existence.

Artemis’ hand disappeared from around Dick's.

Her name burst from Kaldur’s lips, but went ignored as she sprinted headlong into the fray. For a heartbeat, Dick could no longer feel his body, the loss of her grip and the loss of Kaldur's leaving him untethered, unmoored, and unable to process what he was seeing. Then, in a rush of adrenaline, the reality of it slammed through his chest like another clap of thunder, shaking him to the very core.

_He was alive._

_Wally was alive_.

The world slowed as he watched Artemis sprinting toward Wally like her life depended on it. Just as she began to reach for him, Bart collapsed. Barry, distracted, lost his grip at the same time as Artemis flung her arms around where the middle of Wally's torso should have been. For one endless moment, he was _there_ , the rest of his body snapping back into place as the radius of the light around him expanded until it looked suddenly like an enormous, white, Wally-shaped hole had been torn straight through the fabric of the universe.

Dick’s heart stopped. Artemis screamed.

He was running after her before he could register the thought that he needed to move. Artemis was nothing but a silhouette, the light blinding. He grabbed her around the waist, searing pain shooting through him from head to toe, and tugged back hard with a pained roar.

They fell to the ground.

The light, and Wally, vanished.

“No! No, no, no,” Artemis sobbed, getting up onto to her knees just as Dick did the same. He still hadn’t let go of her. “He was right there. Dick, he was _right_ _there_.”

“I know,” Dick said hoarsely, holding tighter. He moved a hand to her hair as she leaned into his shoulder, every ounce of her pent up frustration spilling out through the sobs wracking her body. Some distant part of him registered Kaldur and Jaime running to Bart's side, Barry already cradling him in his lap as Bart came to. Artemis’ hands clutched desperately at the back of Dick's suit as her arms wound around him. Dick closed his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

When Dick finally dragged himself home from the Watchtower, the last to leave the debrief by a longshot, Artemis was already sitting on the floor of his kitchen with her knees pressed to her chest. She’d helped herself to his kettle.

He climbed in silently through his window, not entirely surprised to find her there. She didn’t acknowledge him as she sipped at her green tea, but her stance relaxed, knees still propped up but no longer curled so tightly into herself.

He tossed away his mask and gear, rubbing his eyes, then grabbed a mug for himself. She pointed to the counter behind her, another steaming mug already at the ready. He shot her a small smile, grabbing it and sitting cross legged in front of her with his back to the island.

For a moment they just looked at each other. He’d lost track of how many months it had been since they’d last sat down, unmasked, just the two of them. It threw him off again like it had earlier that day, seeing her hair short. It was just below her chin, now.

He could see thoughts trying to make their way to her mouth, so he kept his shut. Just taking in her company. Giving the thoughtspace she needed.

They were good like that. Both had always known better than to pester each other when the rest of the team would so often demand quick and frequent answers.

“I really thought I was okay,” she said finally.

Dick’s instinct was to say ‘me too,’ but he didn’t have it in him to lie to her tonight. Instead, he wrapped his arm lightly around the top of her bent knees, resting his chin on her kneecap, and watched the steam curl from his mug.

“You’re not angry with me,” she observed quietly. It wasn’t quite a question. Dick swallowed, thinking over the past few months and where their grief had taken them, a.k.a far away from each other and the Team.

“I’m trying to be less of a hypocrite these days,” he said lightly. She didn’t laugh, but he felt her gaze get less heavy.

“Dick, are you actually back?” she asked, putting her mug down on the floor. He thought of the Team. Bart’s disappointed face.

“Do you want me to be?” he avoided.

“Stop it,” she sighed. “Look at me.” He did. She suddenly looked even more tired than he felt.

“I don’t know, Artemis,” he admitted quietly. She let him leave it at that, leaning forward to rest her cheek on her other knee. A lump formed in Dick’s throat.

“It feels like we should have known, somehow,” he said guiltily after a minute.

“I know,” she agreed. “What do we do now?”

“Try again, I guess. Hopefully with less electrocution.”

“I didn’t get electrocuted,” she said indignantly. He didn’t bother arguing the point.

“Did he...say anything to you?” Dick asked.

“Not that I could hear,” she said. “But, I don’t know. It was just such a shock to see his face that I…” her voice tightened.

“Yeah,” Dick said understandingly.

“Do you think he’s scared?” she asked quietly.

“It’s Wally. He’ll be fine.” Dick said, sounding more sure than he was. He lifted his head. “We’re going to get him back, okay?”

“‘Course we will,” she said. “That’s just what we do.” He could tell she wasn’t sure if she believed herself either.

Dick picked up his mug, letting his eyes close as he breathed in the comforting scent of the green tea she’d made. The taste reminded him of better days, as did the warmth of it, sliding down his aching throat.

“Is it awful that I’m not sure what I’ll say to him?” she asked, not looking at him. “I’ve thought about it so many times. What I’d say or do to keep him from going out there, that last time. What I’d say if he just swooshed into the room one day like it was all some bad prank. I’ve changed it every time he shows up in my dreams. But, now that it’s real…”

“You won’t need to say anything,” Dick said assuredly. “He _knows_ you, Artemis.”

“He _did_ ,” she mumbled. He could tell the past tense was actually referring to her.

“Don’t give yourself so much credit,” Dick joked with a wry smile. “You’re still just as stubborn, snarky and impossible as the first day we met.”

He chuckled as she shoved him away in half-hearted annoyance.

“How about you, then?” she asked. “Have it all worked out, do you?”

Dick tried not to take that too existentially.

“It’s Wally,” he said again. He’d never had to try. Not with him.

“Right. ‘Easy as breathing,’” she quoted, not bitter, but not exactly teasing either. Heat crept up Dick’s neck.

“Come on, that was a long time ago,” Dick muttered, embarrassed. Those memories were a particular brand of painful he didn’t want to dip into or dwell on right then. She laughed lightly, surprisingly unforced.

“I was so mad at you both, do you remember?” she asked. “But not for what happened, really. I’d left him, after all. It’s just annoying, you being right all the time.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“Are you _sure_ you didn’t get electrocuted?” he asked, perplexed.

“Shut up,” she shoved him again.

Dick took a minute, trying to find the words.

“He loves you,” he finally settled on. “No matter how much you two swung up and down. No matter how much you doubted how things were going. He didn’t doubt you two. Not really. He’s my best friend, yeah. But he loves _you_. And you’re good for each other.”

“It’s okay, I’m not jumping down your throat, D,” she said, squeezing his forearm. “Just thinking, I guess. About all of it. Where we go from here. Where _I_ go from here. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens I guess.”

“I think that requires we get our asses off the floor and back to work,” his lips quirked up tiredly. She sighed dramatically, cracking her neck.

“See? Right all the time. Quit it once and awhile, would you?” she teased, pushing herself off the floor and holding a hand out for him. He took it, getting to his feet. He held fast as she went to let go, pulling her gently into a hug.

“For the record, _I_ love you too,” he said sincerely. “We’re family, Artemis. And this whole ‘hiding from each other and our guilt’ thing is getting old.”

She hugged him back, gently at first, then tighter. Even after all this time, she still needed to actively give herself permission to be cared for. “Yeah. I think we’ve spent enough time running.” She pulled back far enough to look softly up at him. “Let’s get our boy back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #BringBackWallyWest
> 
> For real though, I miss my poor, sweet son.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back on their bullshit now that the season is over?

"Any luck?" Tim's voice came from the doorway.

Dick grunted, sweat dripping from his brow as he kept himself suspended horizontally above the mat, gripping hard at the rings on either side of him. With a swing and a flip he stuck the landing, grabbing at a towel and wiping his face.

"With...?" Dick asked, turning to face him.

It was a little unnerving how Bruce-like Tim looked when he shot him that mildly exasperated expression. Sometimes he had to wonder if he was letting Tim spend _too_ much time with Batman.

"Whatever it is you, B, Flash, and Bart are working on," Tim said shrewdly.

Dick's brow raised.

"Bart's barely left STAR labs in three weeks," Tim said, "B had been communicating with Flash a _lot_ recently, and you're home. You only stay here this long when you need Bruce's help with something."

Dick cracked a small smile. "Can't get anything past you, huh?"

Tim's cheeks went pink but he continued staring Dick down stubbornly. Dick took a swig from his water bottle then lowered himself onto a bench.

"It's...complicated," Dick said.

"That's kinda my specialty," Tim prodded, sitting on the floor across from him. Dick inhaled deeply.

"Wally's alive, Tim," Dick said quietly, the words still sitting surreally on his tongue. It felt wrong to hope. Wrong to believe what he and the others had seen with their own eyes, but it was true. A fact that ached so hard in the center of Dick's chest it could smother him with the force of his want.

Tim's face went slack, his spine straightening as he stared at Dick in shock.

"Holy shit," Tim blurted. A laugh bubbled up from Dick's throat.

"That about sums it up, yeah," Dick said.

"You're sure?" Tim asked, more statement than question. Dick nodded.

"The machine Bart's been working on with Barry and Bruce is supposed to help us stabilize Wally's energy. From what we've been able to piece together, he's stuck in a sort of limbo. Another dimension. We almost got him out once, but…"

"Didn't work like you thought?" Tim guessed. Dick shook his head.

"We've identified a pattern, but Bart thinks we can draw Wally out ourselves instead of waiting around for him to try to come to us again on his own. The hope is that this time we can actually keep him tethered to our plane of existence without us nearly killing ourselves," Dick said dryly. "I guess we'll see."

Tim stood up abruptly, heading toward the door. Dick's brow raised, watching his retreat.

"Where you going?" Dick asked.

"To help," Tim said obviously, over his shoulder. Dick's chest went soft. He trotted over to fall into step with him, ruffling Tim's hair.

"I'll hit the showers and meet you there."

+

To say Bart was absorbed in his work when Dick and Tim arrived at STAR would’ve been an understatement. Crouched on the floor tinkering with the machinery with a focused frown, Dick wasn’t sure he’d _ever_ seen the kid so serious. Or so sleep deprived. He exchanged a look with Tim.

Barry reached them first. “Dick, good, I was just about to call you,” he said warmly, placing a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “Oh, and Tim. Good to see you. I...uh, take it Nightwing…?”

“Filled me in about Wally? More or less,” Tim said. He glanced over at Bart again. “How’s KF doing?”

Barry sighed. “Stubborn. Jaime’s been wearing him down, but I don’t think he’s been able to get him to take more than a four hour break to sleep all week. He pretends to listen to me when I order him to go home, but I caught him back here again early this morning.”

“He’ll listen to me,” Tim said, looking sidelong at Dick. “I have plenty of practice not giving people much choice on the matter.” Dick cleared his throat.

“Right. I doubt he’s harder to talk down than an overworked Batman _,”_ Dick avoided. “I’m sure between the two of us we can make some progress on that front, at least.”

“Fair point,” Barry smiled tiredly. “Well, good luck. I’ll let Bart fill you in while I take thirty to duck home and help Iris feed the kiddos. Call if you need anything,” he saluted, whooshing away.

Dick blinked away the breeze from his departure, then eyed the tablet Barry had ditched, flipping through the open files as he and Tim crossed the room towards Bart.

“Hey, Gramps, could you hand me the—” Bart called over his shoulder, standing up and noticing for the first time his company had changed. His smile almost reached his eyes as he looked at Tim with pleasant surprise. “Oh, hey! Sorry, didn’t hear you come in. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Thought you could use some reinforcements,” Tim said. “Whatcha got for me?”

Dick listened to the rush of Bart’s words with strained focus. Keeping up with him was considerably harder than it had ever been to keep up with Wally—a fact Dick knew used to irk Wally to no end, even as he’d grown fond of the younger speedster. He had to wonder just how annoyed Wally had been about that exact problem being what ended up taking Wally away from them.

Then again, since Wally had somehow managed to get lost in the speedforce when neither Allen had been able to...Dick couldn’t help but wonder if that aspect of his powers would still be true when they got him out.

“...Anyhow, if we can _just_ get this dumb thing ‘tuned’ correctly, then there’s no reason we shouldn’t have this in the bag, easy peasy,” Bart finished, crossing his arms.

“Got it,” Tim said, yanking the tablet from Dick’s hands and steering Bart out of the way. “I’ll call you when I’m done here, then.”

“You—What?” Bart blinked owlishly down at Tim, who had already parked himself on the floor by the machine.

Tim didn’t bother answering him, already plugging the tablet into the machine and working away on the programming without a second glance.

“Dude, I’m still in the middle of finishing off the mechanical side of all this,” Bart said. “You can’t run the program on a machine that doesn’t work.”

“And if you finish it without the programming and a proper power source, it’s just a useless bucket of bolts,” Tim countered. “You can finish building it when I’m done here. Now go bother Jaime or something, I’ve got my work cut out for me here.”

“But—” Bart whined, trying to reach around Tim for his wrench, to no avail. “Robbie come on, this is so moded, I was almost done!”

Dick placed a hand on Bart’s shoulder, firmly guiding him away toward the door. “Hey, it’s lunch time anyway, right? I’m thinking Bibbo’s? My treat.”

“ _But_ —” Bart started with an exaggerated pout. Undeterred, Dick raised an eyebrow at him pointedly.

They stared each other down, reaching a stalemate. Dick didn’t budge.

Bart groaned out an exasperated sigh of defeat, shoving his hands in his pockets. “ _Fine_ , whatever. I’m totally finishing what I was doing when I get back though! I swear I’m super close to done!”

“Uh huh,” Tim said unsympathetically, typing away.

“Come on,” Dick prodded, practically shoving him out of the lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me, I'll just be reading & writing more fix-its until Grandon finally gives our boy back in S4 (denial? what denial, don't look at me).


End file.
